This section will give you many tips and tricks which will, hopefully, enable you to produce one of the best stories Wattpad has ever seen.
Despite what anybody says, fictional writing is hard - very hard. I don't know about you but, for me, a lot of work has to be inputted to get a good, high-quality piece of work out. Therefore, I aim to help you and provide you with the basic knowledge to develop your work in an easier, more organised way.
So, let's get started!
~ Before we begin properly, let me just remind you of something: nothing is ever going to be perfect. However, no matter how doubtful you are with your ideas and story, just persevere with it. Think about all of those huge, successful writers which exist now (J.K. Rowling, Enid Blyton, Agatha Christie, James Patterson, Rick Riordan, Shakespeare...there's just too many people to list). They all had their first story. And where do you think those 'first stories' are now? Well, I'm quite sure that, wherever they are, they are not on the shelves of every bookstore. My point is: it takes even the most successful authors many tries to get a story exactly right. No matter how much you may struggle to believe it, you'll get there eventually. Be resilient and don't give up.
"Success is not final, failure is not fatal:
it is the courage to continue that counts."
~Winston Churchill
Tip #1 - Specifications
Before I start any story, I would do some basic Specifications.
All this means is you're finalising your decision on:
(1) The title of your story
In order to create an interesting title, you should think of some of the main events that occur throughout. However, if you really can't think of a great title, just leave it blank until you get the inspiration you need.
(2) The genre of your story
The genre of your story infuences many things: settings, charcters, events and language techniques. In an upcoming issue, I will go into more detail on the different genres and what they entail.
(3) The p.o.v (point of view) your story will be told from.
The POV of your story can have a great influence on your writing. You'll find that the two mist used points of views are first person and third person. An example of first person is: I went to the shop and I bought some eggs. An example of third person is: Bob went to the shop and he bought some eggs.
First person allows you to show the emotions of the charcter that you're telling the story from. However, what it doesn't allow is the chance to show other charcter's emotions and feelings. This is the advantage of third person: you can explore many characters at the same time.
(4) The predicted length of your story.
This is just so you know much content you need to include and it should help you organize
All of this doesn't take very long at all. Even though it may seem like a pointless concept, in my opinion, it helps finalise the necessary information and allows us to focus on the actual writing of the story.
You don't need to publish this; it is completely for your own benefit or gain. Therefore, if you feel like its an unnecessary waste of time, just don't do it.
Tip #2 - High Concept Blurb
The 'High Concept Blurb' sounds really complicated and boring. But its not.
A high concept blurb is another way of saying "a couple of short sentences, simply describing the main plot of your story with no high-skill vocabulary or punctuation". Again, this is not to be published and you don't have to do it. Personally, I prefer to have something simple to refer to as I'm writing, but everybody is different.
Tip #3 - Research
This really depends on the genre and content of your story but, mostly, I think it's an important aspect towards fiction writing.
Of course, few people enjoy reading stories purely based on facts and accuracy (at least I don't, anyway). However, fiction still should display some references and fit in with the context of the time.
For example: if you're writing a book which is set in Victorian England, there wouldn't naturally be dinosaurs parading down the street. Nor would there be a 100- floor skyscraper and a time machine (unless that's the kind of thing you're purposely going for, of course).
What I mean is, doing some quick research about the era your story is set in may seriously help you with writing.
In the next issue, I will explain how to write and portray in specific genres. But, in the meantime, please don't hesitate to private message me to my own account (RandomWriter1209) if you have any queries or questions.
I will be happy to help you with any of your writing worries!
Thank you for reading and I hope you have a fabulous week,
~ Elsie
